Shimla: Ancient Adi Himani Chamunda temple, nestled in the lap of towering Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra district, was gutted in a fire in the wee hours on Saturday.
The heavily timbered shrine was closed due to winters and the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, police said.
The fire started at night and the residents informed the police about the incident the today as the area was covered under snow, temple official Surjan Singh said.
"We have requested the district administration to send a team immediately to start restoration work," he said, adding the temple has been closed since last December.
Kangra Deputy Commissioner C Paulrasu said that the administration has received information about the incident on Friday.
The shrine can be reached only after trekking 16-km distance on steep hill and takes about four to five hours to reach.
